Watch live as statewide candidates weigh in on disability issues
Tune in as Democratic candidates for statewide office speak with Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek at the Texas Disability Issues Forum. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6bf8952a74e7dd5c9828b48279b3266c/TexasDisabilities-Lead.jpg)
-
![Article thumbnail]()
-
Down-ballot Texas Democrats are in Beto O’Rourke’s shadow. Will his campaign still help their chances?
Whether they’re closer to the top of the ballot or the bottom, many Texas Democrats running for office are finding it hard to compete for voters’ attention against “Betomania.” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/499473a952c919b71d83f026262268cf/Beto-Shadow002.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Jacob Villanueva/The Texas Tribune -
After Harvey, questions remain about whether registry helped people with disabilities
Texas has a system in place to identify people with disabilities who will need extra help during a natural disaster. But it's unclear how many people actually received help through the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, or STEAR, during Hurricane Harvey. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/08/27/Evacuees_convention_center_HOU_3_PH_TT.jpg)
![An evacuee from Meyerland — a neighborhood in southwest Houston hit hard by Harvey — arrives at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Travis Clardy declares candidacy for Texas House speaker
Clardy is the fourth Republican to throw his hat in the ring in the race to succeed retiring House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/954261007a8f9974a5f257d635c086a3/Travis_Clardy_2_MKC_TT.jpg)
![State Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, speaks at a joint hearing of the Defense and Veterans' Affairs Committee with the Higher Education Committee on September 13, 2016.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Judge says reunited migrant families can now face a choice: Stay locked up together, or separate again
The Justice Department asked for the order to ensure that migrant parents who would otherwise have been detained can’t “bootstrap a right to release” just because they’re reunited with their children. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e8f7b4828d5d9829dbba322894595477/Family_detention_center_Dilley_LS_TT.jpg)
![The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley is one of two family immigrant detention centers in Texas.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Employees protest poor working conditions in state office buildings
After reports of mold invading a state health agency building, a group of state employees gathered in Austin on Friday to protest working conditions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/786b1b8c06ec7fb14600acf0e0144974/DHHS_Rat_Mold_Protest_2_RZ_TT.jpg)
![State employees protest unsanitary work conditions early Friday morning outside the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Office's Brown-Heatly building, in Austin on August 17, 2018.]()
Credit: Rachel Zein for The Texas Tribune -
San Antonio passes paid sick leave ordinance, joining Austin in fight against top Texas Republicans
A similar measure passed by Austin earlier this year is tied up in court. And dozens of Republican state lawmakers have lined up against the ordinance. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/31/SanAntonio-Skyline.jpg)
![San Antonio is the second-largest city in Texas.]()
Credit: Lotus Carroll -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urges Teacher Retirement System not to raise health care premiums
Patrick said funding for health care benefits under TRS-Care should be the responsibility of the Legislature and "not fall on the shoulders of our retired teachers." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/01/09/Patrick-3TW.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in Austin on Jan 9, 2017.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Thousands of children still live in Texas shelters after end of "zero tolerance"
Even after the Trump administration said it would reunify families separated under the now-paused “zero tolerance” immigration policy, new data shows the number of children held in privately run shelters in Texas is still high. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/43ec1479a93bcce2cc3dcbc4c673123e/Southwest_Key_HQ_3_RZ_TT.jpg)
![Southwest Key headquarters in Austin on June 19, 2018.]()
Credit: Rachel Zein for The Texas Tribune -
Retiring GOP state rep blasts Abbott's move to expand power over agencies
In a June 22 letter, Abbott's office directed agencies to run rules by him before publishing them. In a letter this week, state Rep. Byron Cook questioned the governor's authority to do that. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/11/15/Byron_Cook_Competitive_hearing_MKC_TT.jpg)
![State Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, during the first hearing of the House Select Committee on Economic Competitiveness on Nov. 15, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
State board approves new medical school for Sam Houston State University
University officials say they hope the school will increase the number of rural doctors, but some state leaders were skeptical. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/aa9a595c695480b01e1287e10c80d6d3/Sam_Houston_State_University.jpg)
![Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.]()
Credit: Public domain -
GOP sues to kick Gallego off the ballot in state Senate special election
The party claims that former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego doesn't live in Senate District 19, which includes parts of San Antonio and West Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/11/09/ShelbyKnowles-November_08_2016-4.jpg)
![Former US Rep Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, concedes the 2016 Texas 23rd Congressional District race to Will Hurd, a San Antonio Republican, on Nov. 9, 2016]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Four things experts taught us about civility in a divided era
The Texas Tribune’s Facebook community, This Is Your Texas, spent a month discussing how to improve civil discourse. Here's what some experts told us. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/03/11/6F6A5353.jpg)
![C.J. Grisham, the founder of Open Carry Texas (left), protests the SXSW Festival's no gun policy in 2016. A local Austin woman (right), who declined to give her name because she was concerned she would be harassed by gun rights activists, staged a counter-protest by taking off her shirt and shouting "More boobs, fewer guns" and "Boobs for peace" at passersby.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles/ Texas Tribune -
UT regents approve $175 million upgrade to Longhorns' football stadium
The project, funded without tuition or taxpayer dollars, will add exclusive suites, clubs, new coaches' offices, loge boxes and seating to the south end zone of the Royal-Memorial football stadium, according to UT System documents. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4bc2a3acf7eb8d5bfaab778b89504452/Darrell_K_Royal_Texas_Memorial_Stadium_TT.jpg)
![The Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.]()
Credit: Creative Commons/Brint03 -
State investigating reports that a child died after leaving an ICE facility in Texas
The family's lawyer said that the small child “tragically died after being detained by ICE in unsanitary conditions.” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e463a7cb923f09278c77fadaca583e36/Family_detention_center_Dilley_LS_TT.jpg)
![The South Texas Family Residential Center is an immigrant detention center in Dilley, about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
We’re partnering with ProPublica to track political ads on Facebook
The Texas Tribune is happy to announce a partnership with ProPublica this election season to help them track political ads on Facebook. We need your help. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b4cedd1979a888235a7d1e595f596310/TT-ProPublica-001.png)
![Article thumbnail]()
Credit: Jacob Villanueva -
At town hall, health services commissioner tells state employees mold-infested building "not unsafe"
The Texas Tribune obtained a recording of a town hall meeting with Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt and state workers nearly two weeks after they were relocated from the Austin State Hospital 636 building where a mold infestation had invaded their workspace. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/16c0c091dce4349b7875b025a610382a/Mold_1_LEAD_ART_TT.jpg)
![Mold on a computer wrist rest at the Austin State Hospital 636 building.]()
Credit: Obtained by The Texas Tribune -
State Sen. Don Huffines meets with Russian officials in Moscow
The Dallas Republican, along with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, met with Russian officials to "increase engagement" with the country. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/26/_BDP6359_HuffinesTT.jpg)
![State Sen. Don Huffines, D-Dallas, lays out Senate Bill 15 on July 26, 2017. The measure would preempt dozens of local ordinances on using cellphones while driving, including a texting while driving ban passed in the regular session and set to commence on Sept. 1.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
The government hasn’t found 410 migrant parents deported without their kids
For every migrant parent federal officials fail to locate, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw said, "there will be a permanently orphaned child." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7b8bf2d7e09ea8c931bab1aff5baef36/CBP_McAllen_6.jpg)
![Undocumented immigrant children at a U.S. Border Patrol processing center in McAllen, Texas.]()
Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection -
Does Cruz lead O'Rourke by 6 points or 2? Here's how to evaluate Texas polls.
Here are four things to keep in mind when you see a poll on a statewide race in Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/562a693d35bc0547fc18d81181efa1c7/Beto_and_Cruz_new_MKC_BD_TT.jpg)
![U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso (left), is challenging Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera: O'Rourke/Bob Daemmrich: Cruz